EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE: OPINION OH THE COMMISSION'S MY COMMUNICATION OH THE SUGAR REFORM

摘要

The European Economic and Social Committee's Opinion on the European Commission's July sugar reform Communication was adopted at its last plenary session of the year on December 15, by 137 votes to 21, with 11 abstentions. This Opinion was requested by the Commission on July 15, after it issued its Communication detailing for the first time its plans for the controversial reform of the EU's sugar sector. The Communication outlines plans for sizeable price cuts for raw sugar, a strong reduction in EUproduction and the overhaul of the complex quota system currently in force. All the Member States have acknowledged the need for a thorough overhaul of the sugar sector, which has been left largely unchanged since 1968 and is one of the most protected areas within the Common Agricultural Policy. But there is deep disagreement on the shape and extent of the reform, and the July Communication has come under fire from a number of Member States that say the reform as projected in the document will destroy the EU's sugar industry. The less-competitive sugar-growing countries, which want production to continue in the whole of the EU, want the reform to be much gentler and more gradual - ten of the EU's smaller-scale sugar-producing countries expressed theirgrievances in a letter to the new Agriculture Commissioner dated November 19, warning of the "devastating effect" the reform would have on the EU's sugar industry (see the last issue of Europe Information Agriculture). Meanwhile, the efficient heavyweight producers such as France and Germany favour a stronger market-oriented overhaul of the EU's sugar sector. The actual legislative proposals are likely to be tabled in May or June 2005, after the World Trade Organisation has ruled on the sugar dispute currently opposing the EU to Australia, Brazil and Thailand. The EESC document is strongly critical of the EU's reform plans. Among the main points of the Opinion are: The proposed cuts in prices and quotas "go well beyond the WTO remit". The cuts "will spell the end for many producers both in Europe and in the developing countries and will considerably weaken the position of those producers that do survive"; The 2005-2009 quota reduction planned by the Commission "involve greater cuts than necessary in exports with refunds"; The Commission should negotiate preferential import quotas with the Least Developed Countries; The Commission "must launch a proper restructuring plan for the European sugar industry".